Lectionary: 368
Reading 1
Sirach 48:1-14
Like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah
whose words were as a flaming furnace.
Their staff of bread he shattered,
in his zeal he reduced them to straits;
By the Lord’s word he shut up the heavens
and three times brought down fire.
How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!
Whose glory is equal to yours?
You brought a dead man back to life
from the nether world, by the will of the LORD.
You sent kings down to destruction,
and easily broke their power into pieces.
You brought down nobles, from their beds of sickness.
You heard threats at Sinai,
at Horeb avenging judgments.
You anointed kings who should inflict vengeance,
and a prophet as your successor.
You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire,
in a chariot with fiery horses.
You were destined, it is written, in time to come
to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD,
To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons,
and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob.
Blessed is he who shall have seen you
And who falls asleep in your friendship.
For we live only in our life,
but after death our name will not be such.
O Elijah, enveloped in the whirlwind!
Then Elisha, filled with the twofold portion of his spirit,
wrought many marvels by his mere word.
During his lifetime he feared no one,
nor was any man able to intimidate his will.
Nothing was beyond his power;
beneath him flesh was brought back into life.
In life he performed wonders,
and after death, marvelous deeds.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 97:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7
R. (12a) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
Fire goes before him
and consumes his foes round about.
His lightnings illumine the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
All who worship graven things are put to shame,
who glory in the things of nought;
all gods are prostrate before him.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
Gospel
Matthew 6:7-15
Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
“This is how you are to pray:
‘Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.’
“If you forgive others their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”
REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: PRAYER-POWER
"This is how you are to pray: 'Our Father in heaven...' " –Matthew 6:9
Elijah's "words were as a flaming furnace" (Sir 48:1). "By God's word he shut up the heavens and three times brought down fire" (Sir 48:3). He "brought a dead man back to life" (Sir 48:5) and "sent kings down to destruction" (Sir 48:6). Elijah was awesome (Sir 48:4).
Nevertheless, "Elijah was only a man like us" (Jas 5:17). In fact, the least born into the kingdom of Jesus is greater than Elijah (Mt 11:11, 14). We can do greater by far than Elijah or even Jesus (Jn 14:12). Our prayer is "powerful indeed" (Jas 5:16) because in prayer we talk to our Father, Who loves His children more than any father ever loved his children. Our heavenly Father knows what we need before we ask Him (Mt 6:8) and loves us more than we love ourselves. Our Father even sent our older Brother Jesus to die for love of us.
So if we, with all our sins, know how to give our children what is good, how much more will our "heavenly Father give good things to anyone who asks Him" (Mt 7:11).
PRAYER: Father, may I expect my prayer to change the world.
PROMISE: "If you forgive the faults of others, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours. If you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive you." –Mt 6:14-15
PRAISE: St. Romuald discerned that he should offer his life to the Lord and enter the monastery to do penance for his father, who murdered a relative in a duel.
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